At what period the Aldermen ceased to be hereditary and were elected by the citizens, I know not. The election of Aldermen is not contemplated in the Charters of Henry the First, Henry the Second, Richard the First, or John. In the second Charter of Henry the Third, the Barons (i.e. Aldermen) of the City are appointed to elect the Mayor. In the Charter of Edward the Second it is provided that the Aldermen shall be “removable yearly and be removed on the day of St. Gregory (the 12th of March) and in the year following shall not be re-elected, but others shall be elected in their stead.” (Liber Albus.)

In the year 1354 the old order was restored, and the Aldermen remained in office for life.

The following is a list of the twenty-four wards into which London was divided before the end of the thirteenth century, with the names of the respective Aldermen:—

WardaForiAlderman.Stephen Aswy.
„Ludgate and Newgate „William de Farndon.
„Castle Baynard„Richard Aswy.
„Aldersgate„William le Mazener.
„Bredstrete„Ducan de Botevile.
„Quenehythe„Simon de Hadestucke.
„Vintry„John de Gisors.
„Dougate„Gregory de Rockesley.
„Walbrook„Thomas Box.
„Coleman Street„John Fitz Peter.
„Bassishaw„Radulpus le Blound.
„Cripplegate„Henry Frowick.
„Candlewyk Street„Robert de Basing.
„Langeford„Nicholas de Winton.
„Cordewene Street„Henry le Waleys.
„Cornhill„Martin Box.
„Lime Street„Robert de Rockesley.
„Bishopsgate„Philip le Taylour.
„Alegate„John de Northampton.
„Tower„William de Hadestock.
„Billingsgate„Wolman de Essex.
„Bridge„Joseph de Achatur.
„Lodyngebery„Robert de Arras.
„Portsoken„Trinity.

In this list we observe that Cheap Ward is still called Ward Fori; Langbourne Ward appears as Langeford; Broad Street Ward is Lodyngebery; Farringdon is Ludgate and Newgate Ward; Aldgate is Alegate. Forty years later there is found another list of wards in which the modern names appear with the exception of Alegate which is written Algate. The names of the wards are in four cases derived from the trades carried on in them: in four cases from the chief families in them: in the rest from buildings or monuments belonging to them. The names of the Aldermen show sixteen belonging to the old ruling families: seven belonging to new families or to trades, and one, the Prior of Holy Trinity, as an official Alderman.

The date of this list of wards and Aldermen is probably somewhere about 1290, nearly two hundred years after the first list. We have, then, the old City families still represented among the Aldermen. Were they elected? It is impossible to say how long the hereditary system was maintained, and when it was replaced by the elective system. The revolution was a peaceful and bloodless one, since there is no record of it. William Farringdon, who bought his ward, and his son Nicholas, were successive Aldermen of the ward for no less than eighty-two years.

The change of the names in the wards seems to have been carried out between the year 1272, when Riley’s Memorials begin, and 1314, when a list of wards appears with the names that belong to the street or quarter.

Thus we have[6]:—

1272.Ward of Thomas de Basinge (Bridge Ward).
1276. „ „ Castle Baynard.
1277. „ „ William de Hadestok (Tower Ward).
„ „ „ Portsoken.
„ „ „ Henry de Coventre (Vintry Ward).
„ „ „ Anketill de Auverne (Farringdon Ward Without).
„ „ „ Henry le Waleys (Cordwainers’ Ward).
1278. „ „ John Adrien (Walbrook Ward).
„ „ „ Chepe.
„ „ „ William Bukerel (Broad Street Ward).
„ „ „ John de Blakethorn (Aldersgate Ward).
„ „ „ Henry de Frowyk (Cripplegate Ward).
„ „ „ Ralph le Fever (Farringdon Within).
1283. „ „ William de Farndon (Farringdon Within).[7]
1291. „ „ Walbrook (see above).
„ „ „ Cornhill.
1295. „ „ Broad Street (see above).
„ „ „ Bishopsgate.
1300. „ „ Bassieshaw.
„ „ „ Coleman Street.
1303. „ „ Crepelgate.
„ „ „ Langeburne.
„ „ „ Tower Ward (see above).
1310. „ „ Without Ludgate (Farringdon Without).
1311. „ „ Dowgate.
„ „ „ Vintry (see above).
„ „ „ Aldersgate.
„ „ „ Cordwainer Street (see above).
„ „ „ Bread Street.
„ „ „ Lyme Street.
„ „ „ Candelwick Street.
„ „ „ Bridge Ward (see above).
1312. „ „ Queen Hythe.

From this list, it appears that between 1272 and 1283, of fourteen wards named in the Memorials, three only have the name of their street or quarter, the rest being all named after their Aldermen. But from 1283 to 1314 there are nineteen wards mentioned, and they are all named after their street or district. It is therefore safe to conclude that within these forty years the aldermanry had ceased to be proprietary or hereditary. We may connect this fact with the story of Walter Hervey’s election in 1272 (see [p. 52]), which proves that the oligarchy had already lost much of their power.